What’s your Plan B?

Last weekend most of us threw ourselves at our TV screens in absolute protest as the final siren sounded with the Saints and Pies locked at 68 points all. The AFL world went into meltdown as the outcome rattled the very foundations of our expectations, “No winner… what the?!”

The Grand Final replay tomorrow promises the weary faithful a unique experience and also a unique challenge for both teams competing. To again, summons the forces of will, raw emotion and energy ? spent in full, and then some ? will be a tough task. Yet, the rematch promises to serve up a tantalising encore of sheer courage and determination; attributes of a worthy winner.

I heard a great quote regarding who would win last week’s big game, “The team with the best plan B will win.”

That’s an interesting view, I thought. As fate would have it, that statement resonated with me when the final siren sounded. Who’d have tipped the game would end in a draw? Some did, but they were fiercely speculative tips at best.

No one could have known the ultimate outcome of last week’s big game ? making the Plan B and its subsequent execution critical to realising AFL’s most cherished prize.

What’s your Plan B?

Do you have another way of doing things should your current approach not bear fruit?

Have you thought through all the possible points of grey and failure?

Do you have a clear route charted should the answer you’re expecting not ring true?

Many ineffective salespeople have only one outcome in their minds and one option for their client, so when the strategy doesn’t fly, they are left high and dry. In sales, often things don’t go to plan. There are so many variables and challenges you need to think about and overcome.

Often the bigger and more complex the outcome, the longer and more drawn out the process in realising it, which also means more problems and cracks to circumvent.

What’s your Plan B in your next meeting? If your client changes the game on you, what then? Unlike the now weary Pies and wounded Saints, you may not have a week to think about, so it’s worth thinking about now.

For more Selling Strategies advice, click here.

Trent Leyshan is the founder and CEO of BOOM Sales! a leading sales training and sales development specialist. He is also the creator of The NAKED Salesman, BOOMOLOGY! RetroService, and the Empathy Selling Process.